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“And you can’t fix it?”

“I could. My kind are quite adept at breaking curses.” Ally smiled gently. “But I don’t want to. We are the experiences that make us, and this is part of who I am now. Part of my identity. It makes me…more human. More grounded to this world. I would hate to say goodbye to a part of myself simply because I’m annoyed I can’t reach the shelves in my kitchen.”

Maggie sat back, pondering that for a moment, and then returned her gentle smile. “I understand.”

“I figured you might.” Ally pulled off another part of the sugary donut and, when she was done eating it, chuckled. “Thank Gideon for the sweets, then, if you get the chance.”

“We’re not on speaking terms at the moment.”

“Oh?” Ally frowned. “What happened?”

Rinaldo sat there, amazed once more at watching Ally work. The demoness was very, very good at her job. He’d never understood the point of diplomacy until he met her. It wasn’t that she was faking her concern—or that she was manipulating Maggie through the conversation. But she had a target in mind, and she just got there with words.

He shook his head, sipped his coffee, and reached across the table to grab a croissant. Fuck it.

“Well, that’s…why I called you guys. I remember everything now.”

He blinked. “Everything?”

“Everything.” Maggie sipped her own coffee and looked off down the street thoughtfully. “It’s nice to not be plagued by blackouts anymore. I’m finally in control of my own mind for once. But yeah. Everything. And it wasn’t a fun ride.”

“I—I fear a single cup of coffee won’t cover the span of your tale, but someday I would love to hear it. If it is not too painful for you.” His partner frowned, true empathy in her eyes. God, he loved that demoness.

Maggie smiled sadly. “It’s more of a story for alcoholic drinks. If we come out the other side of this meeting still friends, we can go out to dinner, and I’ll tell you the whole thing. Maybe we can trade. I still want to know how you got to be here.”

“Done.” The demoness sat back in her wheelchair, beaming.

“The short of it, which applies to this conversation, is that he murdered everyone I ever loved. He did it all because he was desperate to have me. He loves me more than anything in this world.” Maggie tapped her fingernails on the side of her porcelain mug. She was talking without focusing on the world around her, lost in her thoughts.

Ally asked the question with all the trepidation of someone stepping out onto a shaky wooden bridge over a volcano. “And…you?”

“Complicated.” Maggie laughed, a short and sarcastic sound. “God damn it, he was right. It’s complicated.”

Rinnie felt the need to interject at least once in this conversation between the two women. “Why did you contact us?”

“Because you need to stop hunting him. And you need to stop hunting his phylactery. We need to come to some sort of truce.” She turned her attention back to him, emerald eyes clearer and more focused than he had ever seen them. It was like she had been taken out of a fog. He was happy for her, but it also made him nervous.

She wasn’t a damsel in distress any longer.

“A truce,” he repeated incredulously. “With him.”

“No. With his phylactery.” She snickered. “Sorry. I know where his phylactery is. I forgot to tell you that bit.”

Oh, no.Something in the way she said it tipped him off. Something about her wording. “Fuck.”

“Yeah.” Maggie laughed, smiling. “You got it.”

“But it’s not possible. That can’t be done.”

“Proof to the contrary.” She lifted her coffee.

“Where is it?” Ally blinked, oblivious. “I don’t get it.”

Rinaldo wiped his hand over his face and let out a long groan. The Cardinal would have to hear about this. “She’s the phylactery.”

* * *

Rinnie was a big,gun-happy old—sorry, middle aged—priest, but he was quick to put things together. Maggie smiled at him as he sat there, glaring at her in frustration. She knew why he was pissed, and part of her was flattered. He’s supposed to capture the phylactery to control Gideon, and he was still hoping I was just an innocent bystander he could save.